P&G Brand Ariel #ShareTheLoad Campaign – Men Not Happy

FMCG major P&G’s detergent brand Ariel has revamped its campaign called #ShareTheLoad to make men feel responsible for household work, too –

This campaign is also backed up by a survey done by a ‘third party’ as claimed by the brand –

Last year Ariel showed some really demeaning statistics for men from a survey done by AC Nielson as a result of which the survey major had to face unprecedented criticism from men’s groups and many families boycotting the product. Even women did not like the way it was projected last year –

This year Ariel did not take any chance of revealing the name of the survey company.

This year’s campaign claims the following –

2 out of every 3 children think that washing clothes are a mother’s job

78% of girls in India agree that they should learn laundry as they will have to do it when they grow up

81% of married men in India agree that their daughters should learn laundry household chores

76% married men in India believe that not helping with laundry at home, still makes them a great role model for their children

65% married men in India agree that their children replicate their behavior at home

The figures are based on a survey conducted in four cities viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad on 542 persons.

This campaign challenges our mindset that a woman does all the household chores and men do not help them. The video created for this campaign shows a working woman coming home from the office and still doing household chores while the man is watching TV while working on a laptop.

Men’s rights activists are however not very happy with this campaign, too. They say this campaign wants to increases responsibilities of men while women continue to have no responsibility in their families –

While many men agree that it is better to share the load but they think it needs to be left to the families to decide rather than outsiders shaming anyone. They also show that families, where both the partners work in corporate, can easily employ housemaids to get their work done. Families where the woman does not work in corporate, women should not have any issue with household work. Their argument is that in urban families the percentage women working is still very less compared to the percentage of men who needs to work. Also in almost all families men always work in higher positions than the women in the house and they are expected to work longer hours in their offices, it is unjustified to shame men for not sharing the household work.

Some men’s activists bring examples from the evolution of human species where women opted to stay indoors for being safe from the attack of wild animals or other tribes and chose the household work when men chose the most dangerous work of hunting and getting food and resources for the families. That was in the best interest of the human species and hence that is how the society has evolved.

With changing nature of job and survival requirements this situation has changed. Now families can’t sustain their needs without both the couple working and earning money. While it is up to the individuals to decide what they want to do in their families but if men’s responsibilities are reminded to them like this to shame them, then today’s women also need to be reminded that nurturing the children of the husband or taking care of his family and being faithful only to the husband is also her responsibilities. No one seems to imply to women that contributing to their family financially is also their responsibility. All these become feminist issues. This is the reason men’s activists think dowry should be legal in Indian marriages as that will ensure the financial contribution of women in their own families –

Firstly, one needs to understand the issue. Secondly, the context. The campaign doesn’t say we need to increase men’s load. Every pro women campaign isn’t anti-men. And this in no way shames men.

I agree with all these points.
A family where a man is in a higher position, this need not be applied.
A family where there is maid, this isn’t necessary. (Obviously)
A family where a woman doesn’t contribute to finances, this is unnecessary.

You can pick up a hundred scenarios from everywhere and say why this is unnecessary.

But the campaign is for those families where women have a majority of work stress from home & office. We are talking about reducing the workload which implies that she is more than responsible. Such a woman in majority cases will be contributing her share of finance too.
Answering one problem with the question of another problem is not going to help.

Why are they are targeting women? Do they have the interest of women in mind? Do they want to help the women? Do they want welfare for Indian society? Do they know how a man should lead his life better than he himself does?

Why share load for women only? Who will share load of men? If this campaign was not anti-men, it would also show concerns about families where men take far more responsibilities and women enjoy kitty parties.

The worst and most illogical thing about this campaign is the assumption that men don’t take responsibilities of chores. I have seen countless men working in home (cooking, feeding children, cleaning house, ironing clothes and what not?) even when their wife is not contributing financially at all!!!

I have no issues with sharing the work load, but the assumption of this campaign is so stupid that it proves it to be a feminist product. When feminism comes in, logic is out 😉

This is where a problem gets refused to be solved. The way you have seen countless men doing chores, I have seen countless men not doing it. One cannot blame them because they have grown up seeing things that way.

I have also seen men who help in chores. That does not mean the former is untrue. Both situations exist.

Now, this campaign is to spread awareness to the former sort of people. It isn’t an assumption. You will be disappointed to know that it is the truth. My relatives, my neighbours, my friends parents, there are still conservative societies in India.

For the problem you stated, another campaign could be conducted. I wouldn’t object the way you do. Why do you emphasize that this campaign SHOULD work for both?
If your problem is the lack of a campaign for men, raise that issue rather than trying to squashing another campaign.
“There is no campaign for boys. So one shouldn’t be there for the girls”, is a school line. 😀

In our conversation, have I said that men ‘should’ do the chores? My only plea was not to squash a campaign just because there wasn’t one for men. Let those who haven’t noticed the struggles of a working woman who does also the house chores, notice it & help in some manner possible.
You don’t have to call me a feminist or talk as though I am your enemy. I see you are deeply offended by the campaign to even notice that I am not forcing anything upon anyone. It was my mistake to think that people will be up for a healthy conversation

You may mean well, but that doesn’t change the fact that the message is to demoralize men. It’s part of the ‘men need to change to the times’ idea. Personally I think with my own head. I am getting married to a woman who has no problems being a homemaker. I don’t want the concept of “working woman” in my life.

Boycotting all goods/services of MNCs and other foreign institutions. Unfortunately I am not yet able to close my bank A/c.
Boycotting mainstream media, including movies, in fact the whole TV set I have sold.
Quit working in a corporate job and join a govt job or start own business where all products are Swadeshi.
I Travel only in Air India, if I am going by flight. India railways.
I wash my own clothes and don’t even own a refrigerator.
Sitting down, doing research and calculating how I am getting fucked. This short video sums up my thoughts.
Doing Yoga and taking care of my health as I don’t want their medicines.

They don’t own my mind even though they may own the politicians, judiciary, media, corporations, etc. I don’t fall for any of their propaganda.

Dear, you haven’t said that men have to do chores, but this campaign says so, and you are supporting this campaign…you get the point 😉

Your point is that we should not squash a campaign just because there wasn’t one for men; My point is that why should there be a campaign to decide responsibilities for men or women! We can share responsibilities by ourselves. We don’t need these profit making organizations to do it for us. Their only motive is to spread misandry in our society.

By the way, why do you even feel that I’m talking to you like an enemy? I’m only carrying a healthy conversation, dear. I look like an enemy to you because you are actually deeply offended my comments. 🙂

A man in a ‘North Easternern’ state was paraded “totally” ‘naked’ in the streets and was put to death by the people because a woman has just “registered” a case under Nirbhaya law.

Whether “the culprits” who lynched the man been brought to the Book or not is a question to be asked.

A man got his “Penis” chopped by a woman in a Northern state as per a local newspaper of Andhra.
Woman after chopping the “penis” of the man went to the ‘Police Station’ and registered case as per “Nirbhaya” law and the police went to arrest the man and the man ran way.Instead of arresting the woman, the Police chose to arrest the Man who lost his reproductive Organ as per a local news paper.
Amazing situations and now it seems we are going to get 1/3 rd reservation for Women in the Parliament as per the President of India.
As per me 1/3 rd reservation for Woman in the parliament is “very less”. Women actually deserve actually 90 or 100 percent of the seats in the parliament.

Just remember that your ‘Son’ can also be paraded ‘naked’ and “beaten” to ‘death’or get his “penis” chopped and nobody shall bat an eye lid as the people shall be laughing and making ‘joke’ of the situation as the ‘Government Machinery’ shall remain ignorant as it stays ‘inherently’ “misandric” and averse to the cries and pleas of Man.Great!!!.

A ‘human life’ is more important than any other ‘one thing’ in world.My hope is that because of my ‘writing’ “atleast” a few people recognise ‘the gravity’ that results due to the misandry. and put up atleast some resistance to the onslaught of “feminism”.Peace.

As per me Nirbhaya law has to go.It is the most dangerous law prevailing which is a threat to the life of a man.
Domestic Violence Act has to be restricted to the marital couples to protect the constitutional sancitity of Marriage.
Protecting relationships out of Marriage is a violation of the Constitution Of India.Peace.